


Bloodstained Conversations

by hermitpanda



Series: Bloodstained [3]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: M/M, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-14
Updated: 2017-07-14
Packaged: 2018-12-01 23:21:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11496924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hermitpanda/pseuds/hermitpanda
Summary: “Time for answers?” Morgan crossed his arms and leaned back against the counter.





	Bloodstained Conversations

**Author's Note:**

> I reorganized my writing folder and have been extra productive since. Even though I should be focusing on packing to move. Whatever. I'm sure all of you would agree that writing is way more important. :D
> 
> **Disclaimer: Don't own Criminal Minds or the characters. Just borrowing them.**

Aaron’s eyes darted to Spencer for reassurance as they followed Jessica and Jack into the living room of his house. He couldn’t remember being this nervous about anything before. His sister-in-law had the power to take his son away from him if she felt threatened by his new vampire status. Even the potential that the FBI might not see fit to keep him as a Unit Chief or even as an agent didn’t worry him as much as losing Jack. The boy was his whole reason for becoming a vampire.

 

Spencer met his gaze and offered him a reassuring smile. “How about Jack helps me make some coffee? You can talk to Jessica.” The pair vanished into the kitchen before either Aaron or Jessica could protest.

 

Jessica blew out a frustrated breath and perched on the edge of the couch. “What’s going on, Aaron?”

 

He frowned and considered how best to tell her. He couldn’t recall having ever talked about vampires with her. He wasn’t even sure if she believed they existed. “Please don’t freak out. I was shot during that last case. It was bad, very bad. I was dying. Reid offered to make me a vampire, and I accepted.” The woman blinked at him silently. “Jess?” He broke the silence several minutes later.

 

“You’re a vampire?” She finally asked drawing each word out as though they felt foreign falling from her lips.

 

“I am.” He nodded.

 

“And Reid’s a vampire?” Her brows arched higher than he’d ever seen them go.

 

He nodded again. “Yes. My sire.”

 

“And you left him alone with Jack?” She shrieked, scrambling off the couch to dart for the kitchen. 

 

Hotch sprinted after her, slamming into her when she stopped short to stare at the pair in the kitchen. He grabbed her upper arms to keep her from falling and reminded himself to be gentle. “I’m not a threat to Jack. I never will be.” Spencer responded mildly to her unspoken accusation. He had heard the entirety of their conversation. He turned away and passed Jack the cream and sugar to place on the tray they were preparing.

 

“Spencer says you’re gonna have a barbecue for the rest of the team to tell them. Are they coming over tonight? Is Henry coming with them?” Jack grinned at them eagerly.

 

“It will be whenever everyone can come over. I’m not sure if Henry will come, but I’ll make sure that JJ knows you would like him to,” Aaron responded stepping away from Jessica to pull cups from the cupboard.

 

The woman crossed to the table and sank into a chair. She rubbed at her forehead. “You’re both vampires, and Jack knows.”

 

Jack scoffed. “I’ve known for months that Uncle Spencer’s a vampire. I asked him to turn Dad so he wouldn’t get hurt at work.”

 

Reid grimaced and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly when his fledgling turned hard eyes on him. “He figured out I’m a vampire and had questions. I promised I’d give you the option but wouldn’t force it on you. I gave you the option. You did it willingly.”

 

Aaron growled his displeasure. “You should have told me that Jack was asking questions about vampires. You should have let me handle it. Not happy with you.”

 

“You’re right. I should have told you. I answered his questions because I didn’t want him finding incorrect answers. I didn’t know how much you knew.” The genius shrugged and poured the freshly brewed coffee into the waiting carafe. He gestured everyone out of the kitchen ahead of him before following with the tray.

 

“Can we just get back on the topic that you’re both vampires? You feed off humans! What were you expecting me to do when you told me?” Jessica’s voice rose in pitch as she spoke.

 

“Be supportive and understanding. I turned so that Jack wouldn’t be orphaned.” Aaron sat across from her. He kept his gaze on her as Spencer and Jack passed out the coffee cups.

 

She stared at him. “Be supportive? You want me to allow a child to live with you? A vampire? And what’s this about Spencer moving in? You expect me to just sit back and watch as you allow the vampire who turned you to have complete access to my nephew! I can’t believe you, Aaron!” She stood quickly and paced around the room giving both vampires a wide berth.

 

Spencer leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. “Just hear us out, please.” 

 

She sighed sinking slowly onto the couch with Jack. “Fine.”

 

“I - we know that this is hard for you. It’s hard for us as well. Our relationship has completely changed because of one action. We’re still figuring out what that relationship is. Right now, it’s undecided if I’ll be moving in. Yes, as Hotch’s sire, I will be a larger part of his life now. Yes, I will be staying for a few days to ensure that Hotch is adjusting to his new life. However, if you don’t feel comfortable with Jack staying here during that time, I understand and urge you to keep him with you for that period.” Spencer shot his fledgling a silencing glare when he moved to speak up. “But please, don’t do anything about taking Jack permanently. In a week, Aaron’s going to be tested to see if he can return to the field as an FBI agent. They have to be sure that he can maintain control of his need and desire for blood now. If he can pass that test, which is an extremely intensive, stressful examination, there’s no reason that he can’t keep custody of his son.”

 

“I don’t know…” She looked at Jack.

 

Aaron grimaced in pain. “Jess, please. I did this for Jack. Please give me a chance. I can’t lose my son.” 

 

“Help us understand and address the issues that you have. What concerns you?” Reid asked.

 

They could hear her audibly swallow. “Vampires feed off humans. How do I know you won’t feed off Jack? You could kill him!”

 

“He’s my son! I would never feed on him!” Hotch looked at her horrified.

 

“I don’t want you feeding around him either. I’ve heard it’s rather, well, adult in nature.” She narrowed her eyes.

 

“No feeding on or in front of Jack. Anything else?” Spencer asked.

 

She sighed. “Will he be safe from you?”

 

“Yes, I would never do anything to harm him. I’m still the same man that I always have been. I’m just a little harder to kill now. Please, give me the chance to prove it.” Aaron pleaded.

 

“Please? Dad won’t hurt me. Neither would Spencer.” Jack gave his aunt his best puppy dog face.

 

Jessica blew out a slow breath. “I will see what happens with this test of Aaron’s and wait to make any permanent decision until after that. In the meantime, you’re right. I don’t feel comfortable with Jack staying overnight.”

 

Aaron nodded reluctantly. “I’d like to see him every day though.”

 

She nodded. “Okay. We can work something out.”

 

~*~

 

Spencer caught Jack’s eye and flicked his gaze towards the door leading to the backyard after the entire BAU team had gathered at Aaron’s house. The boy nodded and tugged Henry out of the house while the adults gathered in the kitchen. “Time for answers?” Morgan crossed his arms and leaned back against the counter.

 

“Yes. Spencer and I are vampires. He turned me after I was shot.” Aaron looked around at the assembled group for their reactions. Emily was watching them with mild curiosity while JJ looked disbelieving. Penelope chewed at her lip, concern etched clearly on her face. Derek and Will looked on with expressions of relief. Dave lingered in the doorway waiting to mediate the conversation if he had to.

 

“Vampires don’t exist.” JJ broke the silence. She looked around the group like she was waiting for someone to reveal that it was all a prank.

 

Spencer smiled sadly. “We do exist. We’re rare. I’ve been a vampire for over three years now. You’ve just not noticed the difference.”

 

“Three years? You’ve been a vampire for three years and you’re just now telling us?” Morgan stared at him.

 

“Who’s your sire? Why didn’t you tell us?” Emily leaned forward on the table.

 

Spencer held up his hand to halt the questions. “I was turned against my will. I didn’t ask to be a vampire. That’s all I’m going to say about it, so don’t ask me any questions. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want to answer all the questions that go along with it. I passed my field qualifications easily and have maintained that certification. I have never posed a threat to any of you.”

 

“Did you know about this, sir?” Garcia looked at Hotch.

 

He nodded. “A couple years ago, I suspected something was up. I checked Reid’s file and saw that he had been tested as a vampire to do field work. That was good enough for me. I didn’t want to force him to talk about it if he didn’t choose to.”

 

“I’ve known for a while also. He’s not the first vampire I’ve known. I knew the signs.” Dave finally joined the conversation.

 

“Am I the only one who didn’t know vampires weren’t fiction?” JJ stared at each person in turn.

 

Emily shrugged. “I’ve been all over the world and exposed to a lot of cultures. I’ve never personally known a vampire, but my mother did.”

 

“I had to learn how to deal with them in the police academy. I’m surprised you’ve never been trained on them,” Will said.

 

“So it was just me.” JJ scowled at her husband.

 

“Back to the topic at hand. Spencer sired you. Is it true what they say about new vampires and their sires?” Emily gave them a wicked grin.

 

Aaron arched a brow at her. “And just what do they say?”

 

“They say that the newbs are like subs. They have this insatiable need for their sires. Could I watch? I bet you two would be hot together.” 

 

Spencer cleared his throat cutting off the murmurings that erupted within the group over speculation about their relationship. “Fledglings. Aaron’s my fledgling. We don’t call them newbs And our relationship is none of your business. I sired Aaron because a few months ago, Jack asked me to. I promised him that I would give Aaron the chance. I did. He chose to turn. He’s out of his trance now and preparing for his own field qualifications in a few days.”

 

“What about Jessica? She can’t be happy about this.” Dave diverted the group’s attention away from Aaron and Spencer’s sex life.

 

“We’re working through it. He’s staying with her at night but is spending most of his free time here with me. I’m picking him up from school every day. As she learns more, she gets more comfortable with the idea. Passing the field qualifications will go a long way to easing her worries. If the FBI trusts me in the field where I could be exposed to any number of stimuli including bleeding humans, then she’ll feel better about trusting me around Jack. I wish I didn’t have to earn her trust, but I’ll get it back.” Aaron glanced out the window to where his son was laughing with Henry. His chest ached at the thought that his former sister-in-law could take him away.

 

“What do you need from us? To keep Jack with you? To help you pass the qualifications?” Morgan asked. The others nodded and murmured their agreement.

 

The fledgling smiled slightly. He had known that the team would be quick to ask how they could help him. “Support. Spencer’s helping me with the knowledge that I need. I just need to know that you have my back.”

 

“Always Bossman. We’re all here for you.” Garcia smiled.

 

“Thank you.” Aaron gave his team a rare dimple-popping smile. 

 

“So back to my question…” Emily grinned.

 

“We are not discussing this,” Aaron groaned and turned to the fridge to retrieve the steaks he had selected for the barbecue.

 

Derek laughed watching Spencer. “That’s okay. You don’t have to. I know Spencer’s ‘I’m getting laid regularly’ face. That,” he pointed at the doctor, “says you’re totally catering to Spencer’s physical needs. “

 

“Does Jack know?” Penelope asked.

 

“I generally don’t discuss sex with my 11-year-old.” Hotch shot her a look.

 

She giggled. “No, that you’re a vampire.”

 

Hotch nodded. “Yes, he’s known since the first night. Spencer made sure that I spoke to him every night during my transition. He’s accepting of it and fascinated. I don’t know where he gets all the questions he asks Spencer.”

 

“He’s a smart  and curious kid.” Spencer shrugged before looking at JJ and Will. “If you don’t want to tell Henry, I understand. I also understand if you don’t want me to be alone with him.”

 

JJ’s eyes widened. “Why wouldn’t I want you to be alone with him? You’ve obviously never done anything untoward in the last three years. You’re not going to start now.”

 

“No, I’m not going to start now. Thanks,” he squeezed her hand quickly.

 

“Alright, enough sappy stuff. Those of us who still eat solid food are hungry. Let’s get the meat on the grill, man.” Derek nudged Aaron.

 

“We can eat solid food. We just don’t need to and it does nothing nutritionally for us,” Spencer explained grabbing a tray of appetizers.

 

Morgan let out a dramatic sigh. “You’re going to educate us on all things vampires now, aren’t you?”

 

The doctor gave him a brilliant smile. “Of course, I am.”

 

~*~

 

“Hey!” Jack bounced over to Reid and Hotch as they approached him after school. “Why’d you both come?”

 

“Your math teacher called and asked me for a meeting. Spencer is here to keep an eye on you while I’m speaking with your teacher. You know what it’s about?” Aaron eyed his son.

 

Jack gave him a confused shrug. “I dunno. I only got a B-minus on my test, but I haven’t gotten in trouble, been late to class, or missed any homework. Although…” He chewed his lip.

 

“Although what?” His father rocked on his heels.

 

“There’s a rumor that she’s a vampire. If she is, could she tell you guys are vampires? Maybe that’s what it’s about.” Jack shrugged again.

 

Spencer turned to Aaron. “If she’s an old enough vampire, she would be able to tell that Jack is spending time regularly with vampires. Dave can do it. I can’t though. I’m not exactly sure how it works. He said I’ll just know when it happens.”

 

“Alright. I’ll be back in a bit.” Aaron went inside. He rapped his knuckles on the door of Jack’s math classroom when he found it. “Hi, Miss Thompkins? I’m Aaron Hotchner, Jack’s dad.”

 

“Come in. Come in.” The petite woman smiled. She flipped her red hair behind her shoulder. She gestured for him to sit in a chair she had pulled up next to her desk. “Thank you for coming. I know that you’re a busy FBI agent.”

 

“I have a few days off right now, so it’s no problem. Although I am confused as to why I am here.” He watched her eyes narrow slightly as he sat. 

 

She smiled. “Actually your presence answered my questions. Mr. Hotchner, I’m a vampire and had sensed that Jack was spending quite a bit of time with a vampire. I wanted to ensure that you knew about it, but I can see that you do. When were you turned?”

 

“Two weeks ago tomorrow. I was seriously injured while on a case so one of my coworkers offered to turn me. Both of us have been spending quite a bit of time with Jack,” he explained. “I am curious about something, though, if you don’t mind me asking.”

 

She waved her hand. “Ask away.”

 

“Why aren’t parents told that their children’s teacher is a vampire?” He leaned towards her.

 

“I have to pass the same qualifications to teach that you do to be in the field. After that, the school’s generally feel that it’s best left unaddressed. Does it bother you?” She tilted her head to study him.

 

He shook his head. “No. It’s just that now that I’m on the flip-side, I find it interesting just how many vampires I’ve been exposed to without knowing about it.”

 

She nodded. “Unfortunately, there are always those humans though, that do have a problem with us. They’ll attack us just for existing outside the norms of their reality, so we’re abominations and must be destroyed. So for now, we try to remain a secret.”

 

He sighed. “Understandable. I just wish it were different.”

 

“So do I,” she smiled ruefully.

  
  
  



End file.
